‘People are not paying attention to final payment dates’: How to avoid cruising mistakes
Highlighting the panic, failures of the COVID early days
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Don’t lose your credit by making this cruise mistake
Whittington, a program manager from Tampa, contacted NCL immediately when she saw her reduced cruise credit. Where was the rest of her money?
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Initially, the cruise line would not honor the promise of a full cruise voucher. But after I contacted the company on Whittington’s behalf – which is not a recourse all travelers have – it provided her a cruise credit equal to the 75% cancelation fee, making her whole as promised.
“People are not paying attention to final payment dates or are assuming there is more flexibility with penalties than there really is,” said Marni Becker, senior director for cruise partnerships for Global Travel Collection.
Other post-pandemic cruise mistakes you should avoid
Here are a few more common cruise errors, according to experts:
► Failing to check your passport. During the pandemic, no one bothered to check their passports because no one traveled anywhere. “By far, one of the most common errors travelers may encounter is an expiring passport,” said John Mast, senior director of global cruise marketing at Expedia. As a general rule, U.S. passports should have at least six months of validity from the end of the trip for international travel.
► Ignoring international travel requirements. Entry requirements vary by country, and they’ve changed a lot since the pandemic. “Familiarize yourself early with the regulations so that you can prepare properly before departure,” advised Annie Scrivanich, senior vice president at Cruise Specialists. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, verify the requirements with each respective country’s website or click here to visit the site Sherpa. Scrivanich also recommends bringing a physical copy of your vaccine card with you.
► Not continually checking your cruise line’s requirements. They look simple and almost identical to the ones you remember from before the pandemic. For most major lines, COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required, but testing might be. “But it’s the finer details around those protocols that may trip some people up, causing potential delays or denial of boarding,” said Tanner Callais, founder of the site Cruzely.com. Does the cruise line require a booster shot? What is a valid proof of vaccination? Will a picture of your vaccine card work, or does it have to be the paper copy?
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And what about COVID?
Although we occasionally like to use the term “post-pandemic,” the truth is that COVID is still with us. Cruise experts say it’s important to understand the cruise line’s COVID rules and protocols.
“What would happen if you were to come down with COVID or test positive while aboard?” asked Narendra Khatri, principal for the travel insurance company Insubuy. “Would you be forced to quarantine in a port city? Does your travel insurance cover quarantine and trip delay costs? And if so, how much?”
Some cruise lines still require a COVID test. Even if they drop their requirements, they could reinstate them at any point, given the unpredictable nature of the pandemic.
Stephanie Charboneau, a travel advisor with Travel Creates Memories, recently dealt with a completely avoidable testing emergency. Her clients had arrived early for a cruise but had forgotten to get tested.
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“Of course, I had told them multiple times about this test,” she said. Charboneau helped them find an inexpensive test at their hotel, and they were able to board the ship.
COVID continues to affect cruises in unexpected ways. Jeremy Clubb, founder of Rainforest Cruises, said his customers often assume that itineraries won’t change.
“But now more so than ever, itineraries are subject to change,” he said. For example, his Amazon cruises can’t visit indigenous villages because they don’t have access to COVID vaccines.
“So be aware – and open-minded – to the fact that some itineraries may be different,” he added.
That’s good advice for anyone taking a cruise in 2022. Expect a minefield of potential cruise mistakes. Mind your paperwork and set realistic expectations to avoid sinking your next cruise.
Avoid these pre-departure cruise errors
► Waiting too long to buy insurance. Cruise passengers should buy travel insurance within 10 days of their first payment toward their trip, said Damian Tysdal, founder of the travel insurance site CoverTrip.com.
“Some coverages are time-sensitive, meaning you can’t get them if you wait beyond that 10-day window,” he added.
Also, consider a cruise-specific travel insurance policy like Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s WaveCare, which offers up to $750,000 in emergency medical evacuation benefits.
► Assuming the ship won’t be crowded. E.J. Kritz, a customer service consultant from Charleston, South Carolina, made that mistake on a recent Royal Caribbean cruise. “I assumed the ship wouldn’t be busy,” he said. But it was.
“Cruisers expecting that dinner and show reservations will be no problem are in for a rude surprise,” he said. But aren’t some ships only sailing at partial capacity? Yes, but they’re also sailing with lower staffing levels, Kritz found. His advice: Get your reservations as early as possible.
► Not reconfirming your travel requirements before your cruise. Why double- or triple-check? Because requirements change.
“People check requirements when they book the cruise, but they don’t reconfirm requirements when it is time to travel,” said travel advisor Kristin Jaffe of Winkaffe Global Travel. “Things are changing on a daily basis, so you need to make sure to update your understanding of the requirements the day before you go to make sure you’re covered.”